Coin-controlled blow-tester.



No. 633,464. Patented Sept. l9, I899. J. T. MELSON.

COIN CONTROLLED BLOW TESTER.

(Application filed Feb. 8, 1899.)

(No Model.)

' NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN T. MELSON, OF LAUREL, DELAWARE, ASSIG NOR OF TI-IREE-FOURTHS TOCHARLES G. OTWELL, GEORGE H. OTVVELL, AND OLIVER CORDRY, OF

SAME PLACE.

COIN-CONTROLLED BLOW-TESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 633,464, datedSeptember 19, 1899.

Application filed February 8, 1899. Serial No.704q963. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,JOHN T.MnLsoN,a citizen of the United States,residing at Laurel, in the county of Sussex and State of Delaware, have5 invented new and useful Improvements in Coin-Controlled Blow-Testers,of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus for indicating theforce of a blow, the same being normally in inoperative position, butadapted to be released by the insertion of a coin of proper sizetherein.

The apparatus comprises a casing, a lever having a striking-bag or otherbuffer thereon, '15 an indicating bar or upright containing graduations,a sleeve adapted to be actuated by the movement of said lever, and acollar frictionally engaging said indicating bar or upright and adaptedto be moved by said sleeve. "20 The invention also consists in animproved locking and releasing mechanism for said lever.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front eleva- Fig. 2

. tion of my device, partly in section. a a sectional side elevation.Fig. 3 is a crosssection through the indicating bar or upright l and themovable sleeve thereon. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view through theinclined Like reference-numerals indicate like parts in the differentviews.

The casing 1 may be of any suitable form and construction, the samebeing provided on 5 one side with a hinged door or cover 2 andcontaining the operating mechanism. Piv-- oted upon a support on theinside of the'casing 1 is an L-shaped lever 3, whose vertical armextends through a slot in the bottom .of said 40 casing and hasconnected to it a striking-bag 4 of any suitable form and construction.The horizontal arm of the L-shaped lever 3 is provided near its free endwith a notch or groove 5, whose inner wall is inclined or beveled, as 45 clearly shown. Upon the inside of the casing is a standard or post 6,to the upper end of which is secured an indicating bar or standard 7,which extends above the top of the casing 1 and is provided on its frontside with a longitudinal groove 8. In the groove 8 is a series ofgraduations, as clearly shown.

Fitting loosely upon the indicating bar or standard is a sleeve 9,having an arm or extension 10 upon the lower end thereof, which projectsthrough an opening 11 in the top of the casing and normally lies incontact with the free end of the horizontal arm of the lever The saidsleeve is provided with a spline or feather 12, which fits within thegroove 8 for preventing rotation of said sleeve inde- 6o pendent of'theindicating-bar and is of such depth that itwill not engage or bearagainst the inner wall of the groove 8, and thereby rub and remove thegraduation-marks therefrom. Upon the indicating-bar 7, above the sleeve9, is a ring or collar 13, which is designed to frictionally engage saidbar, so that it will be held in any position thereon to which it may bemoved. The said ring or collar is preferably made of a strip of springmetal, with open ends, as clearly shown in the drawings.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that if a blow beimparted to the striking-bag 4 it will cause the lever 3 to be rockedand the horizontal arm thereof to be elevated. This action will throwupwardly the sleeve 9 by the engagement of the arm 10 thereof with thehorizontal arm of said lover. The distance which said sleeve is thrownupwardly I will be proportionate to the force of the blow imparted tothe' striking-bag, and the actual force of the blow will be indicatedupon the bar 7by the graduation-m ark opposite which the ring or collar13 rests.,it being understood, .85 of course, that the said ring iselevated by the sleeve 9 and that whereas the said sleeve returns bygravity to its normal position said ring will be retained in its raisedposition.

In order to adapt my testing device for use 0 in public places, where asmall .toll may be charged for-"using the same, I provide that the lever3 shall be normally locked and; incapable of movement. To effect thisresult, I employ a dog 15, which is pivoted at its upper 5 end to thepost or standard 6 and is formed with a shoulder 16 on one side thereofadja cent to its lower end, which normally lies above the upper edge ofthe horizontal arm of the lever 3, and thereby prevents the rock ingmovement of said arm. In order that the indicating'mechanism may beoperated, it is necessary that this locking-dog be moved from its normalposition away from the lever 3. To effect this operation by means of acoin, I secure to one side of the dog 15 a coin-chute 17, the sameconsisting, preferably, of a guideway made of sheet metal bent to formside flanges 18, between which a coin of the proper size may pass. Thesaid chute is angularly arranged upon the dog 15, and its lower end iscut away and lies directly opposite the notch or groove 5 in thehorizontal arm of the lever 3. The upper end of said chute leads from anopening 19 in the top of the casing 1, with which communicates afunnel-shaped open coin-receptacle 20, secured to one side of the sleeve9. The action of this part of my device is as follows: The coin beinginserted into the hopper 2O falls by gravity through the lower endthereof and through the slot 19 into the coin-chute 17, being guidedthereby down to a point opposite the notch or groove 5 and bears againstthe inclined wall of said groove. This action serves to throw the dog 15away from the horizontal arm of the lever 3 until it strikes against astop-pin 21, secured to the post or standard 6, and the coin rests uponanother stop-pin 22, below-the pin 21, so as to hold the dog 15 awayfrom the lever 3 until the blow has been struck. WVhen the blow isimparted to the striking-bag 4:, the lever 3 is rocked in the mannerheretofore described, and as the horizontal arm thereof rises the coinis free to pass from the supporting-pin 22 down into the coin-receptaclein the bottom of the casing and the dog 15 returns to its normalposition, so that when the horizontal arm of the lever 3 drops it willagain be automatically locked in inoperative position.

It will be understood, of course, that when my improved device is inoperative position it is supported against the side of a wall, anupright, or the like, so that the punching-bag 4 will be "in properposition to receive the blow. The means of supporting the casing is ofcourse immaterial; but I prefer to employ securing-staples 23 23, whichare driven into the wall and extend through loops or staples 24 in theback of the casing.

In order that the punching-bag 4 may be readily attached to-or removedfrom the lever 3', I form in the vertical arm of said lever an elongatedslot 25, which produces a hook upon the end of said lever, the upper endof the bill thereof lying within the casing 1. When the door 2 is in itsclosed position, it will of course be impossible to remove the bag fromthe lever 3 without breakage of parts; but by unlocking said door andopening the same the bag 4 may be readily elevated and slipped out ofthe slot 25.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to secure by LettersPatent is 1. In indicating mechanism, a graduated bar, a slide thereon,a frictional device engaging said bar and operated by said slide,

normally-locked operating means for the slide, and coin-controlledmechanism for releasing said operating means.

2. In indicating mechanism, a graduated bar, a sleeve loosely mountedthereon, a ring frictionally engaging said bar and adapted to beoperated by said sleeve, normally-locked operating means for the sleeve,and coin-controlled mechanism for releasing said operating means.

3. In a blow-tester, the combination with a graduated bar, a sleevethereon, a ring frictionally engaging said bar and operated by saidsleeve, a rocking lever for imparting movement to said sleeve,normally-locked operating means for said lever, and coin-con trolledreleasing mechanism for said operat= ing means.

4. In a blow-tester, the combination with a casing having an opening inthe top thereof, of a vertically disposed indicating-bar, a sleeveloosely mounted on said bar, having an arm thereon which extends downthrough said opening to the inside of the casing, a band or ringfrictionally engaging said bar above said sleeve and adapted to be movedby the latter, a normally-locked rocking lever carrying a striking bagor buffer, one arm of which is adapted to engage the arm on said sleeve,and coin-controlled releasing mechanism for said lever, as and for thepurpose set forth.

5. In a blow-tester, the combination with a casing having an opening inthe top thereof, of a vertically-disposed indicating-bar extending abovesaid casing, and provided with a longitudinal groove having graduationsmarked upon the inner wall thereof, a sleeve loosely mounted on saidindicating-bar, and

provided with a spline 0r feather which fits v within said groove and isof less depth than said groove, the said sleeve being further providedwith an arm or extension which projects through said opening into saidcasing, a normally-locked rocking lever fulorumed in said casing, onearm of which extends through the bottom of the casing and carries astriking bag or buffer and the other arm of which is adapted to engagethe armor extension on said sleeve, and coin-controlled releasingmechanism for said lever, as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a coin-controlled apparatus, arocking lever having an inclinedgroove therein, a pivotally-mounted locking-dog for said lever, adiagonally-arranged coin-chute secured to said dog whose discharge endlies opposite said groove, a stop for limiting the outward movement ofsaid dog, and a support for the coin beneath the lower end thereof, asand for the purpose set forth.

7. In a coin-controlled apparatus, arocking lever having an inclinedgroove therein, a post or standard, a'locking-dog for said lever pivotedat its upper end to said standard, a coin-chute secured to said dogarranged diagonally thereon, and having its discharge In testimonywhereof I have hereunto set end cut away and lying opposite said groove,my hand in presence of two subscribing wita stop-pin on said standardfor limiting the nesses.

outward movement of said dog, and a sup- JOHN T. MELSON. porting-pin forthe coin located beneath the \Vitnesses:

lower end of said dog, as and for the purpose JOHN H. ELLIOTT,

set forth. CHARLES G. OTWELL.

